The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1887-12-09
IT WORKS WELL

Law as shown by the First Annual Re-
port of the Commissioners-Both Raiir
ways and the People Benefited.
WARRINGTON, Dec. 3-The first annual re-
port of the Interstate Commerce Commission
has been laid before the Secretary of The In
terror. Exclusive Of tabular appe ldices, which
are not yet ready, it fills forty-three printed
pages The commission deyotes dozen pages
10 sketch Of the countrys transportation IA
clities' from the pack-horse and canoe of the
carry Gays to the mammoth institutions OF the
present, tracing back the grievances and
ABUSES Whch LED to the passage OF the Inter-
State act.
Under the heading, 1.-THE Carriers Subieet tn
Its Jurisdiction" the commission saws mat
some OF the railroad practices which the art
undertakes 10 bring to an end have been COM
mon among carriers By water also. and If
wrong in Themselves night justly be forbidden
iii their case as well It does not, however in
tend to intimate an opinion that these things
are common.
The commission IL OF opinion that the ex-
press bus ness done bf the railroad companies
themselves is within the oct. Whether tbs ex-
press companies which are independent OF the
railroads are within the contemplation of the
act is more doubtful. In regard 10 seeep1ng-car
companies, livestock car compan es ami OIL COM
panies which transport in tank cars, th8 COM
missioners say they are as much subject to the
temptation to discriminate as the railroads are.
and the fact is laid before Congress for such.
acton as it may choose TO take in the premises
The long and short haul clause IS exhaust
lively discbssAd together with the reasons or
the commission fer temporarily suspendlng the
provisions i'll certain sections, and they say, in
part:
1.-THE considerations which were influential
In determin ns when these temporary orders
should be granted were not moro the rel ef of
the carriers from danger of loss thRn the pre-
ventation of threatened disturbance Of business
interests in certain LOCALITIES which by its re-
fleX action seemed liable to embarrass serious
~ the entire country"
The comm ssion, after quoting that part of
the twelfth section which empowers il to in
quire into tie business of all common carrlers,'1
says:
'sFhis is very important provision, and the
commission Will no doub: have frequent occa-
sian to take action under it. II VII not hesi-
tate to do SO N any case in which misch eff OF
public importance is thought to exist and
which is not likely to be brought to It's atten-
ton on complaint OF o private prosecutor.
Being now compelled to justify ti4eir rstes
when called on, the commission finds, makes
managers more cautious about doing INJUSTICE
'sIhe pooling OF freights and Of railroad earn
ings, so far aa the commission has knowledge
information OF the subject came to an end
when the act took effect. But pooling
only one of several purposes had 81 view in
forming railroad assOciat.cus the leading asso-
Citations have NOT been dssoised, but have been
continued In existence for other objects
Among these objects are the malliQg of regula-
tions for uninterrupted and Harmonious rail-
road communication and the exchanges OF tr2tdo
within The territory embraced by theifSoEk.
ings.
In It's chapter upon Reasonable ChargtS"
the commission says:
THE public interest is best served when the
rates are so apportioned as 10 encourage the
largest practicable change of products between
different sections of our country and with for
eign countries, and this can only be done by
making value an important consideration, and
by placing upon the higher classee Of fleigat
some larger share OF the burden than if ss
relative equal apporticnment of serTSce alone
were considered, would fall upon those ~ less
value
This chapter is concluded with the following
under the sub-heading Competition
1T might possibly be within the competency
Of leg slative power to prescribe for III, several
Interstate railroads equal mileage rates for
the whole country; but this, If enforced, would
put an end to competition as factor In making
rates, and TO very large extent deprive the
great business centers Of the country of their
several natural advantages, and also of the
benefit of expenditures made by them in Gre
eting for themselves new channels of trade. Is
would, in fact, work O revolution ip the bust
ness OF the country, which, though il might be
greatly beneficial in some directions, would
be fearfully destructive IN others. Congress
has not by the existing legislation undertaken
to isaugurate such a revolution.
''rhe competition by water is the most impor>
tant factor in forcing rates to low level at the
points where the mes of land and water trans
portation intersect. Tic experience of the
country has demonstrated that the artificial
waterways can not be successful competitors
-, IL, A., nv.
roads long since deprived the State canals Of
Ohio, Indiana and Illinois of nearly all their
Importance, and the Erie canal is only main
tanned as great channel OF trade by the liber-
alty OF the State of New York in making its.
use free. In their comparative struggles with
each other towns can not ignore the effect which
the existence OF natural waterways must have
upon railroad tariffs; the railroad com anies can
not ignore it. nor can the commission ignore
1t If competition is still to exist and be allowed
its force according to natural laws. Neithe7
can the great free Ere canal be ignored. tt
influences the rates to New York more than
any other one cause, and Indirectly through
its influence upon the rates to New York, il
influences those to all other seabosrd cities,
and indeed to all that section of the country"
The commission finds that the operation OF
the law has In general been beneficial; that if
tends 10 increase railroad earn ngs, while dt the
same time the tendency of rates has bean
downward. These facts are attributed TO tho
increased movement of materials induced by
faith in the stability and fairness of the
charges.
On The subject of amendments TO the law the
report says:
1.-The commission has not seen occasion for
recommending any very considerable changes
in the act under which its work is performed
1t has seemed to its members that the law for
the regulat on of interstate commerce should
be nprmltfed 10 have n growth that
would most surely, as well az most safely.
attain o high degree of effic .ency and
usefulness in that way The general features
ofthe act are grounded In principles that VIII
stand the test OF time and experience, and only
time and experience can determine whether all
the provisions made for their enforcement are
s8fe sound and workable. When they prove
not to be, experience will be a safe guide in
legislation 10 perfect.
incidentally in this report some need of
amendment has been pointed out Especially
ought the law, as we think, to indicate in plain
terms whether the express business and all other
transportation by the carriers named in the act
shall be governed By its provisions The pro-
vision against the sudden raising OF rates
ought to be clearly male applicable to Joint
rates as well as to others. The COM
mission ought also to have the author
ity and the means to bring about something
like unanimity Of the method OF publishing
rates, which is In great confusion, and to
carefully examine, collect and supervise
the schedules, contracts etc, required by law
to be fled, as well as properly to hahdle the
OF statistical Information called for by the
twentieth section. Other matters, and particu-
larry whether transportation by water shall be
made subject to the act, are submitted TO The
wisdom OF Congress without recommendation
At Peace with Plymouth.
| NEW YORK, Dec 3-Thursday afternoon
the Executive Committee Of the Beecher
Statue Fund COMMITTEES met and, after hear
ing an explanation from Dr.. Parker, unani-
| nously adopted resolution exonerating him